The Blooming Of Natalie Flare

Chapter Twenty-Eight Pt.2: Shit, Flare

"Natalia!" The door behind burst open as I was taking a step to leave. It was Gwendolyn.

"It's Natalie." I corrected. "What's wrong, Gwendolyn?"

"It's Mom." She countered with a tiny smile. "Here." She handed me a small box.

"I never stopped writing to you. I just stopped sending the letters. I don't know, I thought it was better than giving you false hope."

"Oh." Was all I could say.

"Can I hug you? I want to hug you." She almost pleaded.

"Sure." My voice cracked.

So we stood there and embraced each other, both crying like the world was crumbling. It might as well have been.

"I'm so sorry. You don't even know. I failed you as a mother." She mumbled.

"I'm hurt and I still need to digest all of this but I forgive you, mom." I said over her shoulder.

"Jackie raised you well, Tali- I mean Natalie." She sniffed. "Why did you change your name, anyway?"

I let her go and pushed some hair behind my ear. "It's stupid but I thought it would help me forget. It kind of did."

She stretched her frail hand to my face and wiped away my tears. I held it with my two petite hands and rubbed my thumb over hers. It was only then that I
acknowledged how much weight she'd lost.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I will be now." She nodded. "That big heart of yours is still big."

I wasn't sure about that. The years had chipped at it and made it smaller and smaller, but of course my mother was still in that small heart.

"Are you okay? When I called Jackie to find you that day, I asked her to protect you and make sure you'd be okay."

My eyes widened a bit. She told Jackie to find me. I always wondered how Jackie knew that I was out the house. I smiled unknowingly at this. "You told her to come for me."

She looked at me incredulously. "Of course. I wouldn't leave you out there with no one."

"She protected me. And she made sure I was always okay." I nodded, thinking about my aunt.

I remembered the therapy sessions she arranged for me. I remembered all those times she would remind me to confide in her if I ever felt the need to. The times she promised she was never going to leave and that she was going to give me everything I needed. She kept her word.

"Tell her I said thank you for that. And I know things aren't great between us but tell her I love her."

"You can tell her yourself. She's renewing her vows with Collin this Saturday. You should come." I suggested.

Gwendolyn cast her eyes on the pouring rain. "I'm not sure I can do that. But one day I will."

I nodded, a part of me disappointed by her reply but I knew it was out of my control. It was between the two sisters. I tucked the box underneath my coat and wrapped my arms around it and myself. It was notably cold.

"Who's in the car?" She asked, squinting her eyes to try and see clearer.

I bit my lip. "Someone who...cares about me."

"I wish I was there to guide you when it came to boys. Tell you about the birds and the bees." She chuckled sadly. "Your father would've given your boyfriends hell."

The mention of him and how much they'd missed brought on more tears. God, why am I crying so much?

"I have to go now. It's getting late and it'll be harder to drive in the rain when it's dark." I faltered.